[retired_gitfresh]

as Lawro says, he could be this seasons Dowie.

Lawro could be Dowie ?

Intresting.

[retired_gitfresh]

No offence meant but i dont think you have a big enough fan base or attractive enough town to move on to the next level.

No harm in trying. After all you lot are trying to break into the top 4.

[retired_corriestout]

Guess you will get Robbo now then. He is desperate for the Prem and we have already replaced him.

Then again could be a complex deal and we will have Jeremy Peace trying to make sure he isn't getting shafted, so maybe not

[retired_gitfresh]

Rumours up here is that we want a deal where we pay you about £20,000 for every game he plays, upto 100 games. And also want him only to be paid when he plays.

Cant see him accepting that but i'm sure we can negotiate.

[Gray-2007]

I am delighted we have signed Bazza. Do you think it was a fair price in the end or did you expect more?

[retired_gitfresh]

Like i said on the previous page it would have been a good deal if we were two levels lower than we are.

However, we have a 30% sell on clause so when he moves to an even bigger club in a few years we'll ultimately end up getting what we should have demanded in the first place.

I mean, how many clubs accept £6m one week from Sunderland then sell the week after for £5m?

They've not got a clue.

[retired_gitfresh]

Getting excited now \o/

Season preview -

Wigan Athletic start life without Paul Jewell in just three days time. What Jewell achieved at the club has gone down in folklore and his like will probably never be seen again.

However, it is the turn of Chris Hutchings now to stamp his authority at the club, and so far he has done a pretty good job of it. Seven new signings, with the promise of more to come, has ensured that the Latics team that takes the field at Goodison Park on Saturday will be a much improved one, what's more it will be the costliest team in the history of the club.

Already, the pundits have declared that Hutchings will be the first manager to get the chop this season and they have also predicted the dreaded drop. Just what they base their predictions on beats me, although personally I think that it's just because little Latics spoil the ethos of the Premiership. The 'experts' want to watch the best teams in the country in the Premiership and Latics are not deemed one of them, despite our results over the past six season's telling everybody that Latics are indeed one of the best twenty teams in this country.

Once again, we can expect attacks on our crowds, although there are a couple of teams in the same boat as Latics with regards to crowd sizes. Blackburn Rovers and Fulham spring instantly to mind. Bolton Wanderers have even resorted to using the Wigan press in an effort to boost their flagging attendances. But nothing like that will be mentioned by the hacks as the season progresses. It's just a pity that the said hacks' jobs aren't on the line should they get things wrong isn't it?

We can expect constant lies about how the local rugby league club are the best supported team in the town and lets not forget the hilarious 'whippet' and 'pies' connotations that will be thrown our way! How droll and ill informed is that? Wigan Athletic AFC have the fasted growing supporters fan base in the country, if of course, you take away from the equation the sudden 25.000 extra 'fans' who will now profess their undying loyalty to Sunderland this season.

As for the team itself, there is no doubt that the quality within it should ensure a respectable final position come May 2008. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Latics will make Europe and I don't base the term 'respectable' on that. However, I do mean that we should at least manage a top ten finish. Just for the record, and because the 'experts' haven't done so, a run through the team would now be timely.

It seems that the lazy hacks have forgotten that goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has represented England and the only reason he didn't extend a run as England's 'number two' was because of other commitments and injuries last season. Standing by are Mike Pollitt who has never let the team down and new signing Carlo Nash another keeper with Premiership experience. At right back there is likely to be Holland international Mario Melchiot, a player whom the hacks were gushing praise on in his Chelsea days. He let himself down by signing for a poor Birmingham City team, but he is unlikely to have made the same mistake with Latics. His 'back up' will be Ryan Taylor, an England Under 21 international.

The lazy hacks claim that the loss of Arjan De Zeeuw and Matt Jackson will be a major problem for the club. However, their replacements Andreas Granqvist and Titus Bramble both possess a lot more pace for the crucial role of a central defensive partnership and there is good back up from Emmerson Boyce. Fitz Hall is another option although Hutchings also has the possibility of adding Paul Scharner to the middle of the defence if the need arrives. Left back, admittedly, is a problem area. With Leighton Baines moving to Everton, Hutchings is left, at the the moment, with just Kevin Kilbane who has been prepared to take over the mantle. However, the move for West Bromwich Albion left back, Paul Robinson is back on the agenda and there is the possibility of Argentina's World Cup star Diego Placente signing in time for the big kick off. If neither of these moves materialises, Hutchings' record when it comes to signing players fills fans with confidence that by 31st August, this left back problem will no longer be an issue.

On the right wing Latics possess Ecuador international Luis Antonio Valencia, who is determined to improve on his record last season. He has also been in very good form during the pre season games and is supremely match fit due to international commitments over the summer. The centre of midfield is blessed with talent. Michael Brown is an established top quality Premiership player, whilst Scharner and Holland international, Denny Landzaat worked well together last season. In addition, Hutchings can also call on the services of Australian international, Josip Skoko and Antoine Sibierski if required. On the left, or indeed, anywhere in midfield Latics possess one of the best Premiership play makers, Jason Koumas, who, like Valencia, is in blistering form.

And just what did the lazy hacks say when Hutchings purchased him from West Bromwich Albion? That's right, Hutchings got blasted because in their 'expert' opinion £5.3 million was too much to pay for his services. At the same time Roy Keane went to the national media claiming that certain managers are over inflating the transfer market by paying well over the odds for 'ordinary' players, just to get two days national publicity. He also declared that he would never do the same. Two days later he signed Michael Chopra for £5.000.000 and since then he has paid £9.000.000 for a Scottish goalkeeper, who is unproven at Premiership level! Go on, guess whether or not the same lazy hacks 'reported' those transfers in an attempt to belittle Sunderland or Keane!

Up front Hutchings will stick with former England hit man Emile Heskey, whilst his partner , for the time being, is likely to be Sibierski, who can also find the net at Premiership level. Add the fact that Senegal international Henri Camara may surprise everybody and start to actually want playing again and I can think of worse strike forces in the Premiership. Also vying for places up front will be 'unknown' Nigerian international Julius Aghahowa, a player Arsene Wenger considered taking to Arsenal. David Cotterill and Caleb Folan will also be pressing for regular games up front now that both have acquired some Premiership experience last season.

On the whole that squad can look after themselves. Two or three more signings will no doubt complete the 'jigsaw' that Hutchings keeps talking about. And with regards to 'spending' it is interesting to note that Latics owner, Dave Whelan, always seems to balance the books with regards to incoming and outgoing transfers. This policy is sometimes frowned upon by the Latics faithful and the point is totally absent from the pens of lazy journo's who have been claiming that the Blues have been buying success for years.

At the end of the day Wigan Athletic are doing 'all right thank you very much'. And I firmly believe that there are worse teams in the Premiership than Latics this season.

[retired_gitfresh]

Hutch and Jewell on Goals on Sunday, on Sunday shockingly.

[retired_lnspeer]

The word 'bitter' has rarely been more appropiate.

[retired_gitfresh]

Tell the dude yourself marrer - http://www.network54.com/Forum/47236...t%27s+up+now...